PORT ANGELES — Reducing staff both in the offices and the classrooms, and considering cutting full-day kindergarten back to half-day, are among the suggestions for balancing the budget released by Port Angeles School District advisory committee.
The district projects a nearly $3 million — $2,896,915 — slash in revenue for the 2009-2010 school year because of declining enrollment and cuts the state Legislature is expected to make before its session ends in April.
The district’s fiscal advisory committee released a draft list of possible cuts late Friday.
Among the suggestions are layoffs of office and support staff, as well as some teachers.
The committee was still discussing the idea of cutting all-day kindergarten, it said. The committee did not advocate making all the cuts, nor had it prioritized the list.
“I must emphasize that this is a draft list of possible reductions,” Mark Jacobson, executive director of business and operations, said in a written statement.
“The fiscal advisory committee has not voted on the list. It’s not in any rank order. Items on the list are not prioritized. And the fiscal advisory committee is still involved in reviewing material as new ideas are suggested,” Jacobson said.
The tentative list of possible cuts was released to allow the public and district staff members to review it and make suggestions to the advisory committee, Jacobson said in the statement.
The committee has a deadline of Tuesday, but “keep in mind that input can continue after this date,” Jacobson said.
Public meeting
The advisory committee will host a meeting at 4:15 p.m. Thursday at the Jefferson Elementary School Library, 218 E. 12th St., to give staff and community members an additional opportunity to give input about budget reductions.
The committee will rank the ideas, and make recommendations to Superintendent Gary Cohn by April 1.
Cohn is expected to present a final report to the School Board during its first meeting in April.
The School Board is expected to approve cuts by May 4.
Before May 1, school employees who may be laid off will be notified. By contract, many school employees must be informed of layoffs before May.
The School Board on Monday unanimously authorized Cohn to begin the process of planning a reduced educational program for the next school year, with an operating budget that cuts expenditures nearly to the level of “reasonably anticipated revenues.”
The resolution passed by the board instructs Cohn to take action required by law to notify certificated, classified and administrative employees who would be affected.
The two biggest potential deficits the district faces are a projected decline in enrollment of 130 students next school year and the likely cut — or possible elimination — of revenue from the student achievement fund, which was approved by voters in 2000 through passage of Initiative 728 to keep class sizes small and provide teacher training and other enhancements.
Declining enrollment
The projected decline in enrollment would mean the loss of seven teachers, the district officials have said.
One cut suggested by the advisory committee in response to the expectation of fewer students was announced last week. Cohn cut an administrative position — the director of information technology/athletics and activities, transferring Jeff Clark who had held the position to the high school as an associate principal — for a savings of about $80,000.
Cohn also reassigned several administrators.
Other cuts suggested by the committee include 5.246 full-time equivalent instructional position in grades kindergarten through sixth, and 3.335 full-time equivalent positions in the high school.
The state’s revenue forecast is for an estimated $8.5 billion deficit.
One possible state cut to help it balance its budget is reduction or elimination of the 1-728 fund.
Elimination of the fund would mean the loss of nearly $2 million — $1,495,929 — which pays for 15 teachers and all-day kindergarten at the Port Angeles district.
The committee listed a possible cut in 8.9 full-time equivalent instructional staff, as well as other cuts, to balance loss of this fund.
Possible elimination of the I-728 funds has other public school districts worried. Sequim School District, for instance, is looking for ways to trim about $1.3 million in case the fund is cut out of the state budget.
“We hope to know the full impact of state budget cuts on the school district by late March, but it likely will be later,” Jacobson said.
“Once legislators make a decision on the budget, it may be necessary to increase the number of reductions if more cuts are anticipated or legislated,” he added.
The advisory committee’s list can be found at www.portangelesschools.org.
Ideas can be e-mailed to budget@portangelesschools.org, or mailed to Superintendent, 216 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles, WA 98362.
